Guides Not Gods

Some things in life seem so far apart. 

Sometimes it seems impossible to reach from where you are to where you want to be. 

How can someone dealing with broken relationships, drowning finances, enslaving addictions, anxiety, depression, sickness, grief, or any other malady imagine reaching far enough to grasp wholeness and healing? 

Over the years I've wrestled with the question of hope for the hopeless on both a personal level and in my pastoring role. Sometimes speaking life to an obviously dead situation seems a lot more like willful ignorance than powerful faith. 

I see the situation. I see the great chasm between the hope and the reality. No amount of counseling, coaching, or encouragement will bridge the divide. In our own ability it is truly impassable. 

Other times it's not a chasm that swallows the hope, but the length of the journey. 

They may know they can get through it but the light at the end of the tunnel is too far away to be seen... 

Hope deferred makes the heart sick. A sickness so heavy even the strongest can fall along the way. 

What can we really give our Pflugerville, Texas neighbors who are struggling for hope, facing a chasm, or a road too long?

Jesus. 

He is the answer. He is always the answer. 

Not in the funny Sunday School sort of way but in the real, powerful, dynamic, God of the universe sort of way. 

When their world is falling apart, it is Jesus who can truly hold it all together. 

"He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together." Colossians 1:17

When the tunnel is too dark to travel it is Jesus who lights their way. 

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

As much as our egos may object, there are hurts and hardships to big for us to carry others across. There are experiences to dark for us to guide them through. 

In our efforts to love our Pflugerville, Texas community like Jesus, we must always remember we are called to represent Him not replace Him. 

Our strength for helping others is directly connected with our ability to lead them to Jesus. 
Which is why we only remain effective when we remember that we are called to be guides not gods. 
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When we do our part we can rest in faith knowing He loves them enough to take care of the rest.

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